Why is eating less meat or no meat at all a good global warming solution? Turns out producing meat (beef worst of all) uses vastly more land, feed, water and transportation than any other food source… it is simply wasteful, plus the manure and animal digestion creates a LOT of methane pollution – a potent greenhouse gas 21 times as virulent as carbon dioxide.

At Paul Hawkins’ recently-published Project Drawdown points out, eating a plant-rich diet and reducing food waste are the third and fourth most powerful global warming solutions available to mankind. A plant-rich diet is the solution most immediately available to ordinary citizens, in every country. And food waste is simply, well, dumb…

In one of his first public talks after leaving the White House, President Obama spoke to this, as reported by Stephanie Strom of the New York Times: “The former president noted that the Paris agreement focused on damage to the environment from the energy sector, leaving the role of food production largely unaddressed. ‘We are actually seeing a continuing increase in emissions coming out of the agriculture sector,’ he said, ‘and a lot of that has to do with changing diets around the world.’ ”

But what if you aren’t ready to go 100% vegan? Try the Meatless Mondays approach, giving up eating meat one or more days per week (full disclosure, this writer set a personal goal of eating meat no more than twice a week… I still get to enjoy it, just not all the freaking time! Plus, each vegetarian day is a whole lot cheaper anyway.)

3) To save the planet, USE YOUR VOICE and take advocacy seriously! Never miss a vote and never, ever stop influencing your government and all businesses locally, at the state level, and at the national level.

And in all cases and at all times, cast aside the learned-helplessness that infects so much of modern life… the time is now for climate change solutions. No one else is going to do your part for you… never give up.